School board gives update on COVID numbers, adopts 2022 budget

At a regular school board meeting held on Monday, Oct. 4, Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation Superintendent Dara Chezem updated the board on the school's COVID numbers since the implementation of the mask mandate, along with formally presenting, and passing, the board's adoption of the 2022 budget along with many budget related resolutions. Since the Sept. 20 special meeting, Chezem stated that the number of children absent from school has "dropped dramatically" since the adoption of the mask mandate. "We currently have 10 positive cases. On Sept. 20 we had 29 positive cases. Currently, we have 23 students out on quarantine from exposure outside of school, which is down from 113 on Sept. 20. We have 47 students who have been identified as close contacts that have been able to stay in school due to Eastern Pulaski using the governor's orders that allow students to stay in school if everyone wears masks," Chezem said.